Check, Check, Check, Check, Check

Today I slept in, fed my one kid, did 3 loads (so far) of laundry, knitting on my fair isle mittens and washed the socks that still need the ends woven in along with 1/2 a week of wool socks and under garments.

Katniss Socks

Then we went to the pool where we met up with my Dad and Bugs. We had tons of fun and I ended up walking 5 laps in the pool with 35 lbs riding piggy back. Now I am working on my blog (including posting yesterday's entry.) If you read Friday's post you will know that I have worked on all 5 of my goals for the day. Woo Hoo. Now to go to a Super Bowl party. TTFN!

Hello MO FO

If you have been reading my blog for the past six months, you will note that I didn't show any  pairs of finished socks photos.  This is because since the Friday before Rhinebeck (October 14, 2011) I have had the same sock yarn on the needles.  Well, I am here to say that those sock are my new FOs.

Doing decreases today at the National Zoo (with my Jessa Lu bag)

Left spins clockwise and Right spins counter clockwise

So comfortable I almost don't want to give them away

I will be giving my Mom her new socks after I soak and block them. I think I am going to make myself some Monkey Socks next.

So I now have everything knit up from last MDSW.  Yea me! Now I just have to knit 1,000 yards of lace before September 29, 2012.  Do you think I should knit a Top or a lace shawl? I am taking suggestions.

Megan, from Stockinette Zombies, mentioned this idea of knitting up everything you buy at one fiber festival before the same festival the next year. She thought it was a thing that lots of people do.  I haven't heard of anyone else doing this but me.  In fact, I thought I made it up as a way to keep me from overspending last year.It worked well and I will be doing it from now on. I recommend that everyone think about trying it sometime. It really makes you think before you buy AND it challenges you to knit it up.

Hi Ho!

I am so sorry that I have ignored this blog for three weeks.  Everyone got sick and then the pretty weather came and I just wanted to be out in it.  I have nothing finished but I do finally have a HO*


Down the Rabbit Hole Yes, I am in my grinch pjs. They are cozy.


36" out of 60" done on my Stash Down Blanket


18 points on my Mermaid Hitchhiker I have to get knitting fast on this since I only have 8 days to finish it if I want it to count towards the SSK KAL. I may learn how to knit on the stationary bike.

Speaking of workouts, I can fit in my skinny clothes!! This is the size I was 10 years ago! I am still working out 3 days a week and hope to continue my weight loss.  I can do a mile in 15.23 minutes on the treadmill and 2 miles in 20 minutes on the elliptical.  Best part is that I look forward to my workouts. I am so excited about how good I feel.

*(Half-finished object normally when you have to make two of something the first one finished is a HO. See Stockinette Zombies for more details. They are awesome. )

Plodding along

I don't have a lot of exciting news this week. I am working on the 9 (of 15) section of the Curlicue Coverlet which means more yellow and more blue sections then last time I photographed it. I am working out on the treadmill at lunch on days that don't start with T and happy to report that at a 10% incline I can do an 18 min mile.  My first goal will be to do a 15 minute mile with the next goal being 2 miles in 30 minutes. 

I did see a middle age man steal a pack of cigarettes from the grocery store this week.  The man had been completely rung up (including the cigarettes) and everything was bagged up (except the cigarettes which were on the little check writing counter) when a computer glitch knocked out all the checkout stations. The cashier and manager started un-bagging everything and scanning it all back into the checkout computer. I was two carts back. I saw his hand clench around the cigarettes.  I saw the hand slide back just slightly and then just a little more.  I was staring intently when another cashier invited me to check out in her lane.  When I had checked out, I saw him tucking the cigarettes in one of his bags all the while talking to the manager. He walked out as I did and looked cool as a cucumber.

Why didn't I turn him in? Maybe because it is only a $4 item. Maybe because he was buying beer and dog food (wet and dry food, he loves his dog) so I pictured him, a bachelor, drinking at home alone with his dog and felt bad for him.  Maybe I have seen Empire Records too many times. (Damn the man, save the Empire!)  Mostly, I think I wanted to see whether he would get away with it or not. He did and I got a little secret excitement from it in a boring week.

My Dog is Fat

There is a bumper sticker out there that says, "When your dog is fat, you need more exercise." Well, that is the case in my house. My poor Corgi mix, Angel, and I both need to lose 20% of our weight to be healthy.

Angel in our freak October snowstorm. She is a tall corgi mix.

I think "lose" is going to be the theme of this year's resolutions. I now resolve to:

1. Exercise 3-4 times a week to lose weight (Angel is going on a diet and going for more walks.)
2. Trim down the clutter in my house by selling or donating a big bunch of it.
3. Knit down my stash without buying a crap ton more. 

I have plans for all of it. I found a free gym that I can use on my lunch break at work. I have my husband on board with the clutter and plan to go room to room starting with the office, aka Katie's NEW yarn room (as soon as I clean out the junk.)

For my knitting resolution, I am going to knit up this basket this year.

Some of my oldest yarns will be knit up in 2012.  The average age is 3 years since purchase (that is pretty old since I started knitting in 2007.)  I am excited to get started.

After I finish my baby blanket that is. Here is my half finished baby blanket for a baby who better wait another 3 weeks before making her way to the world.  If for no other reason, then just so I can finish her starfish blanket. I just finished section 7 of 15 and she is not due for another 27 days, I think I can make it.

I Resolved

I worked hard on my 2011 New Year’s Resolutions. Here is what I did:

1. Get Baby’s colorwork stocking done before he turns 3

2. Try to find something to help me with my colorwork issues (related to #1)

3. Knit an Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern with no cheat sheet

4. NO yarn purchases till I can fit my stash in my ONE rubbermaid container.

So, this didn't happen, but I KNIT UP MORE THEN I TOOK IN
 Amount purchased plus gifted is 7,623 yards (4.33 miles.)
I knit up 9,149 yards and gave away 1,516 yards of old stash.
That makes my total out 10,665 yards (6.06 miles.)
That is a net loss of  3,042 yards (1.73 miles)! 
(That is almost 11% of my stash that I have trimmed off.)


I am calling this 3.75 resolutions accomplished out of 4. I will post tonight or tomorrow about 2012 resolutions